Air conditioning apparatus



M y 3.1, 1 38. J. H, GIBBS 2, 19,2

AIR CONDI TIONI NG APPARATUS Filed Dec. 26, 1955 WW i727" [Ml W. A

Patented May 31; 1938 UNITED sT r s PATENT OFFICE I 5,119,207 mooNm'rI'oNmo, APPARATUS John H. Gibbs, Framingham, Mass.

Application December 26, 1935, Serial No. 56,174

3 Claims. (Cl. 261-81) This invention relates to apparatus for washing,humidifying, disinfecting, medicating or deodorizing a stream of air orother gaseous substance.

,-, It is an object of the invention to provide apliquid. An agitator ofsheet material is suspended in the chamber and is vibrated by the airstream in such a manner as to splash the liquid in the pool, thusthrowing a spray of liq- .5 uid into the air stream and keeping thewalls of the chamber constantly washed. A great deal of the dust carriedby the incoming air is caught by the surface of the pool and the wetsurfaces of the chamber walls and vibrating agitator. A furthercIeansing effect results from the spray of liquid, shaken from theagitator and splashed from the pool. The spray not only washes but alsohumidifies the air stream, many of the finer droplets of spray beingcarried out with the stream to-evaporate in the open air.

It has been found that placing the apparatus on a radiator, hot airregister or other source of heat accelerates the evaporation as theliquid is thereby warmed and heated air is blown through the apparatus.it has also been found that certain chemicals may be added to the liquidto act as dispersing agents, such for instance as sodium salt ofnaphthalene sulphonic acid. This aids the liquid to break intoa finerspray which is more easily evaporated.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be hadto the description thereof which follows and to the drawing of which EFigure 1 is a sectional view of apparatus embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of a manner as to dip when atrest into the pool of liquid. This vibrator is located in the airstream, so that, when the stream is flowing, the

vibrator is vibrated thereby in such a manner as to splash a spray ofliquid from the surface of the pool into the air stream so as tocleanse, humidity, disinfect or medicate the air passing through thechamber.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated on the drawing consists of aportable unit adapted to rest on a desk or table and to be carried fromone room to another as desired, but it is evident that the invention maybe employed in a built-in housing or duct and suitable means providedfor heating the liquid or air.

, As shown, the housing consists of a receptacle ill adaptedto contain apool of water or other suitable fluid, the housing including a cover 12which encloses a chamber 13 and is preferably removable'for access tothe interior of thehous-. ing. The cover member is provided with a pairof spaced ports it and it, the port it being an inlet port through whicha stream of air may be introduced into the chamber l3 to be dischargedthrough the outlet port it. Such a stream of air may be brought to theinlet port it from any suitable source of supply by any suitable means.As shown, a blower 2H, driven by a-motor 22, is mounted on the covermember l2 so that the entire air-conditioning apparatus is a unitaryportable device. Extending upwardly from the discharge port it is a flue2t through which the stream of air escaping from the chamber within thehousing is projected in an upward direction. Thus any small droplets ofwater, which may be projected in the air stream as it leaves thehousing, are projected upward so as to evaporate readily before fallingto the floor or to the surface on which the apparatus rests.

Within the housing a vibra'table vane 30 is suspended so as to be in thepath of the air stream. As indicated in Figures 1 and 2, this vane maybe in the form of a sheet of metal or other stiff material bent intosuitable non-planar form and swingably suspended as at 32 beneath theinlet orifice M. This vane preferably tapers in width toward the lowerend 34, the dimensions of the member being such that, when at rest, itwill contact with the pool II, a portion of the member being ,preferablysubmerged. When the stream of air is directed into the chamber throughthe inlet port ll, a portion of it enters behind the member 30 andswings the member toward the discharge orifice l6. This swingingmovement of the member 30 lifts it clear of the liquid and raisestherewith a small amount of liquid on the lower portion thereof. The airstream blows some of this liquid from the tip of the member 30 in theform of a spray and the member at once drops back to splash in thesurface of the pool and cause-additional spray. These movements of themember 30 take place rapidly so as to keep the interior of the housingl0 filled with spray during the operation of the apparatus. The spraywashes the air stream and also wets the walls of the housing so that avery large percentage of the dust carried by the air stream 'is caughtby the droplets of. spray and by the wet walls within the housing. Thespray also serves to humidity the stream, many of the fine dropletsbeing carried out through the flue 24 to evaporate in the open air. Inorder to prevent the escape of larger droplets of'water, the dischargeorifice i6 may be provided with a baiiie 38 which extends across theportion of the opening nearest to the inlet orifice I4. This baiiie maybe of wire netting or other suitable material.

As shown in Figure 2, the width of the chamber IS in which the member 30vibrates is only a little greater than the maximum width of the memberitself. In order to increase the capacity of the liquid reservoir, thehousing I!) may be made wider than the chamber IS, the remainder of theinterior of the housing being separated from the chamber as by suitablepartitions 40 and 42. In the case of a portable apparatus such asillustrated on the drawing, liquid may be supplied from time to time bypouring in an additional supply as needed. If preferred, it is obviousthat any suitable mechanism may be employed for maintaining a constantliquid level within the housing, such mechanism being connected with asupply of liquid in a manner well known in the art.

In Figure 3 is illustrated a modified form of vibratable vane. As shown,this consists of a sheet 50 of pliant material such as soft rubber orsuitable fabric. The vane 50 may, if desired, taper in width toward itslower end and is of suflicient length to project below the surface ofthe pool when at rest. The member 50 may be in one piece or may consistof two or more strips suspended side by side. When a stream of air isbeing blown through the housing, the stream whips the'free end portionof the pliant vane 50 clear of the liquid so that it splashes the surthepool surface.

bers 30 and 50 are furthermore adapted to operate successfully andefficiently for diflerent levels of Thus it is possible to operate thedevice for considerable periods before to replenish the supply of liquidin the pool.

Various changes and modifications may be made in the details of theembodiment of in.- vention herein shown and described without departingfrom the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the followingclaims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a-housing enclosing achamber and adapted to contain a pool of liquid, means for maintaining astream of air through said chamber, and a member suspended in saidchamber and vibratable by said air stream to splash liquid from saidpool into spray, said member consisting of a sheet of stifl' materialbent to suitable shape, said sheet being swingably suspended at itsupper end and tapering in width toward its lower end.

2. Apparatus'of the class described, comprising a housing enclosing achamber and adapted to hold a pool of liquid therein, means forprojecting a down draft of air on said pool at one end of said-housing,an outlet at the opposite end of said housing whereby said down draftcauses an air flow from one end of the pool to the other,

and a vibrator hung in said air flow and adapted to be vibrated therebyso that its lower end whips in and out of the pool. I

3. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a housing enclosing achamber and adapted to contain a pool of liquid therein, means forprojecting a down draft of air on said pool at one end of said housing,an outlet at the other end of said housing, and a sheet of non-absorbentpliant material supported at itsupper endbetween said down draft andsaid outlet, the lower end portion of said sheet being submerged in saidpool when the air is at rest.

' JOHN H. GIBBS.

